*~*~Chapter 6~*~*
Vash chewed happily on his donut, a big smile on his face, as if there wasn't a care in the whole world. Meryl dipped hers in a warm cup of coffee. They had come out a perfect golden-brown, not one was burned. She let herself smile a little. For once, something was going right. She looked out the window, the sky painted a bright purple-red.
"What are we going to do about your wheelchair?" Vash asked with his mouth full.
"I guess we have to take it back to the doctor. We should probably offer to pay for the damages," Meryl said, wondering if they could afford it. Vash made a strange noise, and she looked at him. "What?"
"I played Wolfwood poker three days ago." He stared at the table and grabbed another donut.
Meryl stared at him blankly for a moment, then her head dropped onto the table, and her coffee sloshed. She should have known the nice moment couldn't last. She let out a sound, something between a sob and a laugh. "So you're broke," she stated.
He didn't say anything, but when she looked up, his face was slightly red and he was looking at the floor. She just stared at him. Two years ago, she would have promptly gone over and smacked him on the head. She huffed into her sleeve. She was too tired, to exasperated to move from her chair. She looked the half donut she still held in her hand. It was delicious, unburned, perfect, but…
Vash flinched at half a donut hit him squarely on the forehead. He sadly looked up at Meryl, who was ignoring him and taking another donut from the plate in the center of the table.
"So what are you going to do?" she asked in an even tone, still not looking at him.
He shrugged. He didn't really know. There must be somewhere in town where he could get a job or something…
"I'm going to bed." Meryl stood up and turned to hop up the stairs.
"Wait a minute, I'll help-"
"I don't need any help," she said sharply and continued to pull herself up the handrail.
He watched her hobble up the stairs. The donut he held in his hand dropped to the table and he buried his face in his hands.
"See if I ever play poker with you again, Wolfwood," he muttered in irritation.